When The Going Gets Tough
by WaNdA
Summary: Arianna is an Elf that isn't exactly fond of Legolas. She's the only one who knows that he's been kidnapped. Why was this done and will she save him? DISCONTINUED~Thanks to those of you who were kind enough to review.
1. Stupid Prince!

Disclaimer: I don't own Legolas or Mirkwood or any other places in ME. I do own Arianna.  
  
She looked around and what did she see? None other than Legolas himself, the one Elf she despised more than any other. He was always so self -assured, so.....well, royal. Arianna told herself that she prefered to enjoy the simple life. Always just getting by, not being promised to an Elf she didn't know for marraige. She'd left all that behind. " Exuse me?" Arianna snapped out of her thoughts. Legolas was towering above her on his snow white steed. " Exuse yourself!" she snapped and turned on her heel. Legolas sat there blinking confusedly. All he'd wanted was to know the Elf's name. " She looked so familiar...." he muttered to himself. " Where have I seen her before?" Turning his horse he was about to follow her when a shout from his father made him put the Elf in the back of his mind.  
  
" Stupid Prince! Always trying to get something from those of us less fortunate than him!" Arianna muttered as she walked through the woods. " But you chose this life. Remember that." said the little nagging voice in the back of her mind. Arianna walked for a long while arguing with herself, no clear idea of where exactly she was headed. Finally, she stopped to get her bearings. The woods around her were very dark and all was unnaturally silent. She sighed exasperatedly. " Wonderful. I've gone and wandered into the wrong part of Mirkwood yet again." She slumped to the ground and the darkness loomed about her becoming more and more tangible as time wore on. A sudden noise woke Arianna from the light slumber she'd slipped into due to her exauhsting 5 hour walk. " What was that?" Arianna was on her feet with her sword ready in a flash. Covering herself with a gray cloak, pulling the hood up to cover her dark brown hair and emerald eyes, she backed into a shadow so as to hide from view. She wanted to be the one doing the seeing, not the one being seen. The sound drew closer and Arianna tightened her grip on the sword's hilt. " Bring it on.." she muttered. There was a last cracking noise and then the ones making it came into view. Arianna's jaw dropped in shock at what she saw and she hurriedly backed even deeper into the shadows to be sure that she was unable to be seen. A group of nasty dirty looking men rode past on huge dark horses. Behind them, trailed a worn but defiant looking Elf, deprived of all weapons, being made to walk with his own bow and arrow at his back. His bright blue eyes flickered into the shadows and spotted the cloaked Arianna. It was just a look and nothing more. There was no pleading in his eyes, no begging to be rescued. Just a mere glance of acknowledgement of Arianna's presence.  
  
The group soon passed and Arianna recovered from her state of shock. " Stupid Prince gone and got himself captured, huh? And he saw me. Lucky the others were only men or I would've been right along side him. They couldn't see me." Arianna had an internal debate with herslef before deciding to follow the group. " It can't hurt. I mean, whatever he's been caputred for, he probably deserves it, but I may as well follow and see what's going on. I'm not saying I'm going to help him. He doesn't even want my help. Probably because I'm just a lowly female." She followed the group until they made camp, at which point Arianna did the same, curling up in her cloak underneath a tree to watch the Prince and his captors. The men tied Legolas's hands behind his back and bound his feet as well. The whole time he never said a word, just stared defiantly into the distance. Arianna wondered where King Thranduil was and why Legolas had been captured. One of the more greasy men stooped low and put his face right in Legolas's. His voice was scratchy and whiny when he spoke to the Prince. " So Elf-Boy, when's your daddy gonna come with the ransome?" Legolas stayed silent. " Not talking, eh? Maybe if Thranduil heard your screams he'd come to rescue you, pretty-boy." At this Legolas's face hardened and fury grew in his eyes, but still he spoke not a word. Arianna watched him slightly impressed by his stubborness and laughed inwardly at the look of rage Legolas gave the man when he was called a pretty-boy. The man turned around laughing slightly and then whipped back around to face Legolas, his fist hitting the Elf in the side of the face. Legolas winced and bent over slightly at the blow, but other than that there was no reaction. A black and blue mark started to appear where he'd been hit. The man looked crazy with anger. " You will talk Elf! I'll find a way to make you!" He stormed off perhaps to look for food....although there wasn't much edible in this part of Mirkwood, Arianna thought. Arianna's mind worked furiously taking in all that she'd just heard. The men took Legolas for a ransome. Perhaps to lure Thranduil away from Mirkwood, she thought. They were obviously trying to get the Pronce to tell them someting, but what Arianna couldn't figure out. She considered her options. She could help the Elf out of captivity or watch for awhile longer, try and figure more out. Arianna worked this over in her mind until she felt that if she didn't sleep, her brain wou;d explode. No one else knows he's out here.....but I could get hurt...or captured.....or.... She yawned. Legolas looked over at her and she clapped a hand over her mouth. A few of the men followed Legolas's gaze and started over to inverstigate. Arianna panicked. The men were almost upon her. Seeing no other option, Arianna ran into the woods......only to run headlong into the man who'd interrogated Legolas. 


	2. Old Ties Realized

Disclaimer: I do not own Legolas ::sniff sniff::: I do own Arianna, the stupid guys who captured them, and the plot. A/N: Thanks a ton to all who've reviewed. Some of you said that Arianna was a Mary-Sue. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't a Mary-Sue a Littke- Miss-Perfect? Arianna is definantly NOT perfect. Still, thanks for your reviews and if you still think she's a Mary-Sue let me know why in a review so I can avoid that, because she wasn't intended to be a Mary-Sue. Thanks! ~*~WaNdA~*~  
  
Chapter 2: Old Ties Revived  
  
Before Arianna coud recover from the collision, the man grabbed her hair and yanked her to her feet. "Why hello there!" the greasy man said evilly.  
  
Arianna just glared at him, heranger beyond words. How could she have been so stupid as to run headlong into this creep? You were too busy running from the other creeps! a litte voice in the back of her head reminded her.  
  
"What is it with you Elves?! Are you too stupid to talk?!" the man yelled and yanked her hair angrily. This was too much for Arianna to stand for. "You let go of me right now, you slime sucking scumface! Elves are more intellegent than you disgusting humans!" The man chuckled. "So you do talk! Good! Now, you're going to get Prince Charming over here to tell us what we want to know...or...you die." he said simply. Arianna rolled her eyes. "It probably wouldn't make a difference if you were dead, though, would it?"snarled the man. Arianna couldn't think of a comeback. The man had hit her blind spot. It's true, she thought miserably, No one would miss me.  
  
The man dragged Arianna to a place within the trees where they could see Legolas staring blankly ahead. "Now get him to talk!" the man growled. " I thought all you wanted was a ransom! He doesn't exactly need to talk fr you to get that, now does he?" Arianna snaped, regaining her senses. "The ransom s just a cover-up to get Thranduil away from the kingdom so we can-" One of the stupider men that had follwed Arianna into the woods was suddenly cut short when the leader clocked him one in the head. "You moron! Don't tell her our plan!" he hissed. Then he pulled Arianna's head back and bent close to her ear. "Now you listen, if I hear that you told any of this to Princey, I'll-" he began. " How're you going to find out if he doesn't talk, idiot?" she asked angrily. The man couldn't think of an answer to the question so he just bound Arianna's hands and feet and brought her over to sit next to Legolas. "Remember, your life depends on his chit chat." the man said and then strode away. After makingsure that the two Elves were securly tied, the men went to sleep, a single guard sitting up to watch the captives. Arianna just sat and fumed silently. Oooo! The NERVE of those men! Why would they even want to get Thranduil away from his kingdom? And if they think I'm going to help by talking to Blondie here, then they've got anither thing coming! Her thougts were interrupted by a bottle of ale falling from the guard's hand and his body crashing to the ground. He was in a drunken slumber. Arianna laughed softly at this. Not a cruel laugh, just a humorous one. Some guard! Legolas looked at her questioningly. Arianna quit laughing and just stared at him angrily, remembering why she was upset with him in the first place. Legolas noticed Arianna's green eyes harden in anger. He much preferred when they were filled with mirth as they had been before. He sighed and then spoke quietly for the first time since he'd been kidnapped. " What, may I ask, did I do to make you hate me, ma'am?" he asked. Arianna just pursed her lips and shook her head disbelieveingly. "How can you not know?" she asked angrily. Legolas shrugged and shook his head, completely clueless. " What's my name?" Arianna snaped. "I can't place it! You look so familiar!" Legolas exclaimed, " This morning when you came up to me, I tried to get your name, but you ran!" Arianna's face was now a display of hurt and anger. " That's because you should remember the name of your best friend! Even if is has been years since we've seen each other!" Arianna said harshly. Legolas's eyes widened and his mouth dropped. " Arianna?" he said incredulously. "Yes." "Oh, my! I'm SO sorry! You just look so...so dfferent! And when your father took you away I thought I'd never see you again, so I tried to forget you!" Legolas said in a rush. " Why would you want to forget me?" Arianna asked. "Because it hurt to much to remember." Legolas relplied softly, " Can you ever forgive me?" Arianna considered and then gave Legolas a small smile. " Yes." Legolas sighed in relief. " You've changed, Arianna. You always seem angry, now. That's part of the reason I didn't realize you were you." " Time changes everyone." Arianna replied simply, not wanting to get onto the subject of what had happened to change her. There was a stir from the drunken guard and the two Elves fell silent. It was too risky to say anymore and let it be known that they knew each other. Arianna stared into the dying flames of the campfire and smiled. With her and Legolas reunited, the men were in for a harder time than they're bargained for!  
  
~So what do you think? Let me know in a review!~ ~*~WaNdA~*~ 


	3. Padlocks

Disclaimer: I don't own Legolas.  
  
Chapter 3: Padlocks  
  
Two little Elven children ran, one chasing the other. " You'll never catch me, Arianna!" the little blonde Elf called to the brown haired one. Arianna giggled and gave chase to Legolas. She tackled him and they began to wrestle. Two strong male voices could be heard arguing over the childrens' laughter. Then a strong pair of arms grabbed Arianna's little waist and pulled her roughly off the ground, away from her best friend. The man who held her began to yell at another man, who'd scooped Legolas off of the ground. Arianna didn't understand. She tried to leap from her father's arms. She wanted to play, but he snatched her back and reprimanded her. The two grown men yelled a final word and stormed off in opposite directions. Arianna stared over her father's shoulder at her best friend becoming further and further away. Tears flowed down her face as she had the distinct feeling that she'd never see him again.  
  
Arianna woke to someone shaking her roughly. She sat up to greet, rather reluctantly, a damp gray early morning, her eyes blurred with tears brought by the dream. Arianna brushed them away quickly, ashamed of herself, for crying did no good. "Awww, poor Elf." The man who'd shaken her awake said sarcastically. Arianna counted to 3 mentally. 1.... " Why are you crying? Big bad men to scary for you?" 2.... " Or is she crying because of what we did to Princy?" 3... This last remark from the man distracted Arianna from the kick she was about to aim at his face, and she looked over at Legolas. Her knees went weak and she gasped at the sight that met her eyes. She was angry. Legolas sat slumped against a tree, his face covered in small bruises, his hair dishevelled, and a bright red mark across his cheek, but his shocking blue eyes still shone defiantly. Arianna trembled with fury at what they had done to her friend, but before she could lash out, she was reminded that her hands and feet were still bound when a man tripped her. "What did you do to him?!" she yelled from the ground. " Aww is elfy in love?" the mand taunted her. " No, you idiot." Arianna retorted. " I am not an idiot you disgusting creature." The man put his foot on her back and held her face-down in the dirt. Arianna lifted her head, her green eyes livid. " At least we respect all creatures." she spat. " Yes, even you, you slimy gross-" The lead man emerged from his tent and kicked her in the side. Arianna squirmed beneath the other man's foot, gasping for breath. " You'll not insult us, Elf. Understand?" the lead man bent down. " Who are you?" Arianna growled. " To think you can treat us like this!" " My name is Girnash. And yours?" Arianna remained silent and Girnash stood. " Tut tut. I thought Elves had better manners. Remember, you better get the Prince to talk." "What is he supposed to say, huh?" "We'll check with you every night. If we hear what we want, you'll live." Girnash cupped his hand around his mouth and shouted to the others. "Let's get moving! Borkosh, you take thePrince, Jemish, you take the girl." A burly man with black hair ( Jemish apparantly) yanked Arianna to her feet. She saw Borkosh, a dirty blonde man, pull a weary Legolasto his feet. Apparantly, the marks all over him were from his refusing to talk earlier in the morning.  
  
Legolas and Arianna were forced to walk endlessly until the sun had been high in the sky for hours. Arianna had know idea where they were or wear they were going. They hadn't been given anyting to drink or eat and the effects were now showing on both Elves. Arianna had become quiet, slow footed, and blurry-eyed; Legolas's eyes seemed glazed, his head was hanging, and he stumbled constantly. The men didn't help the situation at all. They pushed Arianna and Legolas every time they so much as slowed to catch their breath. A few hours later the men called a halt. Arianna looke up wearliy to see the front gates of a dingy dirty town. A man at the top of the gates in a crumbling watch tower smiled a nearly toothless grin that wasn't at all friendly when his eyes landed on the two bruised and battered Elves. "Well well Girnash! What've you got there?" he called down casually. " Business. Now let us in." Girnash called to the man. The toothless man looked disgruntled, but turned the handle, cranking the large rotting wooden doors open. Arianna and Legolas were steered to a small wooden shack with a padlock on it. Girnash took out a small key, unlocked the padlock, and pushed the two Elves inside without a word. Arianna tiredly sank to the ground, letting the darkness envelope her. The clinking of metal could be heard from outside and both Legolas and Arianna knew they were locked in. But neither could begin to guess what was in store for them. 


End file.
